Analysis of safety perception on pedestrian bridges: a hybrid modelling approach

Abstract

This article of scientific and technological research studies safety perception

on pedestrian bridges, through an approach based on two main areas: the microeconomic and psychological. This paper estimates simultaneously a hybrid model of choice and latent variables, with data from a stated preference survey, finding that this model fits better than a mixed logit reference model, which indicates that safety perception determines the behaviour of pedestrians when faced with the decision to use or not a pedestrian bridge. It was found that gender, age and educational level are attributes that affect safety perception. The calibrated model suggests several strategies to increase the use of pedestrian bridges, which are discussed, finding that the use of pedestrian barriers causes a loss of utility that should be studied as an extension of this work.